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Relationship Do or Don’t: Pet Names

Snuggle Muffin. Pooh Bear. Cuddle Bug. Darling. Honey. Sweetheart. Pet names are fascinating, aren’t they? The couple who refers to each other as Cupcake might find the whole idea endlessly charming but to those outside of the relationship, it’s not always so cute.

“Love you, Tickle Monster.” “Aw! Love you, too Sugar Lips!”

We recently received an email all about pet names from a Smitten reader. Writes our anonymous gal:

“My boyfriend (of a month) won't let me call him pet names, he says he hates them and won't do it for me either. I feel frustrated. Should I just give up or give it (lots) of time? It makes me feel insecure about his feelings. “

It’s easy to understand her frustration. Part of being in a relationship is sharing inside jokes and sometimes those inside jokes involve schmoopy new names for each other. But pet names, while quite common, aren’t for everyone. Some are really proud of their given names and others just find nicknames (cutesy or otherwise) annoying. A person’s stance on nicknames isn’t necessarily a reflection of his or her commitment to a relationship.

Dears, I’d love to hear how you feel about pet names. Do you think they’re adorable? Or just annoying? How do we feel about couples who use their pet names in public? If you’re in a relationship, what pet names have you and your partner given each other? And do you ever use them in public?